Environment > SO2 emissions per populated area: Countries Compared

Author: Ian Graham, Staff Editor

One of Hawaiiâ€™s most popular tourist attractions, Kilauea volcano is also the stateâ€™s worst air polluter and the United Statesâ€™ largest <a href= http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/env_so2_emi_per_pop_are>producer of sulfur dioxide (SO2)</a>. Since it began erupting in 1983, Kilauea has sent an average of 1,000 metric tons of SO2 into the atmosphere everyday, according to the Hawaii chapter of the American Lung Association, more than 6,000 times as much as a major industrial polluter. <p>When the SO2 reacts with other chemicals in the air, it creates a hazy pollution known locally as â€œvog,â€ short for volcanic smog. Press reports about vog first showed up in the 1950s, and mentioned eye irritation and allergy-like symptoms. But Big Island residents have long believed that vog is hazardous to health, and by the mid-1980s, Hawaii had the highest <a href= http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_ast>asthma death rate</a> in the U.S., according to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. <p>In 1996, a comparison between Big Island emergency visits and vog levels between 1981 and 1991 found that people in high vog exposure areas sought treatment for asthma and <a href= http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_oth_chr_obs_pul_dis >chronic obstructive pulmonary disease</a> more often when vog levels were high. The U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service have developed a sulfur dioxide monitoring and advisory plan to alert visitors and workers near the Kilauea caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The American Lung Association recommends that people stay indoors during periods of heavy vog.

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DEFINITION: SO2 emissions per populated land area
Units: 1000 Metric Tons/Sq. Km. of Populated Land Area
Units: We obtained the total emissions for each country by summarizing emissions data, originally available as a grid map with 1 degree x 1 degree cells. Air pollution is generally greatest in densely populated areas. To take this into account, we used the Gridded Population of the World dataset available from CIESIN and calculated the total land area in each country inhabited with a population density of greater than 5 persons per sq. km. We then used this land area as a denominator for the emissions data.

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Totals

#	COUNTRY	AMOUNT	DATE
1	BelgiumBelgium	21,390 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
2	South KoreaSouth Korea	19,430 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
3	JamaicaJamaica	17,050 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
4	Czech RepublicCzech Republic	7,980 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
5	North KoreaNorth Korea	7,640 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
6	KuwaitKuwait	7,120 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
7	United KingdomUnited Kingdom	5,370 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
8	GermanyGermany	5,100 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
9	SlovakiaSlovakia	4,850 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
10	BulgariaBulgaria	4,610 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
11	ChileChile	4,380 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
12	NetherlandsNetherlands	4,190 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
13	EgyptEgypt	4,090 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
14	PolandPoland	3,900 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	High income OECD countries averageHigh income OECD countries average (profile)	3,616 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	European Union averageEuropean Union average (profile)	3,354.4 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Eurozone averageEurozone average (profile)	3,341.33 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
15	IsraelIsrael	3,310 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	NATO countries averageNATO average (profile)	3,274.62 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
16	LibyaLibya	3,220 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
17	DenmarkDenmark	2,860 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
18	AustraliaAustralia	2,840 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Group of 7 countries (G7) averageGroup of 7 countries (G7) average (profile)	2,827.14 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=19	CanadaCanada	2,790 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=19	ItalyItaly	2,790 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
21	JordanJordan	2,710 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
22	ChinaChina	2,680 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Cold countries averageCold countries average (profile)	2,672.16 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
23	HungaryHungary	2,650 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
24	TajikistanTajikistan	2,610 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
25	South AfricaSouth Africa	2,350 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
26	SloveniaSlovenia	2,340 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
27	ArmeniaArmenia	2,290 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Non-religious countries averageNon-religious countries average (profile)	2,229.17 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
28	ZambiaZambia	2,100 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
29	Sierra LeoneSierra Leone	2,080 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
30	UkraineUkraine	2,060 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
31	RomaniaRomania	2,040 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
32	CroatiaCroatia	1,870 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Middle Eastern and North Africa averageMiddle Eastern and North Africa average (profile)	1,846.67 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
33	GreeceGreece	1,830 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
34	Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina	1,780 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
35	CubaCuba	1,730 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
36	LithuaniaLithuania	1,690 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=37	AzerbaijanAzerbaijan	1,680 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=37	United StatesUnited States	1,680 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
39	MoldovaMoldova	1,650 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
40	TunisiaTunisia	1,610 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
41	MalaysiaMalaysia	1,600 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
42	United Arab EmiratesUAE	1,520 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	OPEC countries averageOPEC countries average (profile)	1,501 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
43	FinlandFinland	1,480 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Emerging markets averageEmerging markets average (profile)	1,472.8 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
44	BotswanaBotswana	1,320 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
45	SpainSpain	1,310 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Former Soviet republics averageFormer Soviet republics average (profile)	1,172.86 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
46	PortugalPortugal	1,170 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
47	IndiaIndia	1,150 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
48	FranceFrance	1,090 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
49	ThailandThailand	1,070 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Muslim countries averageMuslim countries average (profile)	999.21 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=50	IrelandIreland	970 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=50	MexicoMexico	970 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=50	JapanJapan	970 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
53	IcelandIceland	960 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
54	BelarusBelarus	950 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
55	RussiaRussia	930 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
56	Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia Rep.	900 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
57	PhilippinesPhilippines	880 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
58	NamibiaNamibia	870 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
59	AustriaAustria	850 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=60	UzbekistanUzbekistan	770 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=60	SwedenSweden	770 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
62	SyriaSyria	710 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
63	El SalvadorEl Salvador	700 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
64	BangladeshBangladesh	690 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Former Spanish colonies averageFormer Spanish colonies average (profile)	655.56 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
65	TurkeyTurkey	650 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
66	DominicaDominica	640 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	South and Central Asia averageSouth and Central Asia average (profile)	621.82 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=67	LebanonLebanon	600 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=67	AlbaniaAlbania	600 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
69	VenezuelaVenezuela	590 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=70	EstoniaEstonia	580 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=70	IraqIraq	580 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=70	KazakhstanKazakhstan	580 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
73	Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia	560 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	South Asia averageSouth Asia average (profile)	542.5 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
74	AlgeriaAlgeria	540 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
75	MoroccoMorocco	530 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
76	Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+	520 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
77	SwitzerlandSwitzerland	510 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=78	RwandaRwanda	490 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=78	IranIran	490 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
80	PeruPeru	450 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
81	New ZealandNew Zealand	440 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
82	MongoliaMongolia	430 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
83	Costa RicaCosta Rica	380 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=84	IndonesiaIndonesia	360 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=84	BrazilBrazil	360 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=86	NorwayNorway	350 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=86	EcuadorEcuador	350 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
88	ZimbabweZimbabwe	330 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
89	PakistanPakistan	300 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
90	Central African RepublicCentral Africa	290 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
91	KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan	270 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	Former French colonies averageFormer French colonies average (profile)	270 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
92	VietnamVietnam	260 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
93	ColombiaColombia	240 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
94	PanamaPanama	230 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
95	Sri LankaSri Lanka	210 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
	failed states averagefailed states average (profile)	207.69 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=96	Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire	200 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=96	AngolaAngola	200 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=98	NigeriaNigeria	190 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=98	Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau	190 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=100	TurkmenistanTurkmenistan	180 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=100	MauritaniaMauritania	180 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=100	CambodiaCambodia	180 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=100	LatviaLatvia	180 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=104	GhanaGhana	170 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=104	UruguayUruguay	170 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=106	GuatemalaGuatemala	160 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=106	KenyaKenya	160 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=106	UgandaUganda	160 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=109	SenegalSenegal	150 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=109	ArgentinaArgentina	150 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=109	HondurasHonduras	150 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=112	BeninBenin	140 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=112	HaitiHaiti	140 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=112	Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR.	140 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=115	MozambiqueMozambique	130 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=115	BurundiBurundi	130 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
117	NicaraguaNicaragua	120 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=118	LiberiaLiberia	110 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=118	SudanSudan	110 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=118	The GambiaThe Gambia	110 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=118	OmanOman	110 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=118	GabonGabon	110 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=118	LaosLaos	110 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=124	TanzaniaTanzania	100 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=124	ChadChad	100 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=126	NigerNiger	90 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=126	BurmaBurma	90 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=128	CameroonCameroon	80 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=128	Burkina FasoBurkina Faso	80 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=128	ParaguayParaguay	80 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=131	EthiopiaEthiopia	70 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=131	GuineaGuinea	70 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=131	BoliviaBolivia	70 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=131	TogoTogo	70 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=131	MaliMali	70 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
136	SomaliaSomalia	60 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=137	MalawiMalawi	50 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=137	NepalNepal	50 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=139	MadagascarMadagascar	40 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
=139	Papua New GuineaPapua NG	40 thousand metric tons/squ	2000
141	BhutanBhutan	30 thousand metric tons/squ	2000

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